Hyssop is an extremely easy-care spice plant. The following are important for the aromatic herb to thrive: a sunny location, dry, lime-rich soil and regular cutting, carried out in spring or autumn.
When and how should you cut hyssop?
Hyssop should be cut either in spring before budding or in autumn after flowering. Cut the plant back to about a third or half, but avoid cutting into the old wood as it will usually not produce new growth.
Hyssop is mainly known from Mediterranean cuisine. You can now find it more and more often in home gardens. It also enriches typical German dishes, such as potato salad, roasts or soups. Hyssop is easy to grow and equally easy to care for. You can get the seeds at a very affordable price online or in the garden center around the corner.
General care instructions
For the good growth of hyssop plants in the garden, only a few care rules must be observed:
- sunny to full sun location,
- loose, calcareous, stony soil,
- water little, do not fertilize,
- occasionally move to another place in the garden.
Regular cut for more compact growth
Hyssop is referred to as a herb, but over time it tends to become woody and develop into a subshrub. On the one hand, this offers some advantages, for example to create a hedge-like border for a herb or rose bed. On the other hand, the older shoots become bald and become unsightly over the years. You can counteract this if you carry out regular pruning measures.
Pruning can be carried out in spring before budding or in autumn after flowering. It is best to cut the plant back to around a third or half no later than August. Cutting later can result in the cuts not healing until the first frost. Otherwise, the cut can be done in spring (around March). Until then, the old branches offer good winter protection in severe frost.
Tip
As with lavender, the same applies to hyssop: if possible, do not cut into old wood, as no more shoots are usually expected from it.
